Cincinnati Zoo set to welcome baby giraffe

The Cincinnati Zoo’s giraffe herd is about to get bigger.

Zoo officials said Tessa, a 19-year-old female giraffe, is pregnant and expecting her fifth calf. The calf, due in October, will join the zoo’s giraffe herd — known as a “tower” — at Giraffe Ridge, which also includes 5-year-old father Zeke, Zoey and half-brother Fennessy.

Before making the announcement, the zoo teased the news Tuesday on social media by posting an ultrasound image and asking followers to guess which animal was pregnant. The post generated about 1,700 guesses on Facebook alone in the two days before the announcement, though the zoo said few people correctly identified the giraffe.

Teresa Truesdale, a giraffe keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, said the pregnancy came as a welcome surprise.

“We weren’t sure that Tessa could still conceive and were a little discouraged when we didn’t see signs of breeding,” she said. “It turns out that the breeding was happening at night when we weren’t around.”

Zoo officials said they had hoped Tessa would produce a calf after pairing her with Zeke, a match recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Giraffe Species Survival Plan. According to the zoo, the organization determined that “the introduction of this genetic combination to the AZA population is important.”

The pregnancy also comes as the zoo prepares to expand its giraffe program.

The Cincinnati Zoo plans to eventually double the size of its herd when it opens the Giraffe Tower habitat in the next few years. The new space, planned in and around the historic elephant building, will “greatly expand” space and opportunities for the zoo’s giraffes while offering visitors immersive experiences, including more feeding and behind-the-scenes opportunities.

Beyond its local herd, the zoo also supports giraffe conservation efforts globally through its partnership with the Wild Nature Institute. Since 2014, the collaboration has supported scientific research on wild giraffes in Tanzania and helped promote community science and coexistence initiatives that benefit both wildlife and local communities.

“By connecting field research and visitor experiences, the zoo helps raise awareness about the challenges giraffes face in the wild — from habitat loss to human-wildlife conflict — while inspiring guests to act for wildlife protection,” the zoo said in a statement.

The zoo said it will share pregnancy updates on its social media channels. Visitors can also watch Tessa’s pregnancy progress in person during normal zoo hours.

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden